Tonight, Tonight: Eric Johnson at The Granada, Sick of It All at The Loft and The Ink Couch at Andy's Basement

Quite a diverse collection of musical options available in the area this Wednesday evening. Choose wisely.

Eric Johnson, Andy McKee and Peppino D'Augustino at the Granada TheaterA
triple bill of string-bending pyrotechnics will be on display tonight
at the Granada as three genuine guitar heroes ply their craft. Of
course, few in the area need a recommendation for Eric Johnson. The
Austin native has been wowing area audiences for the better part of four
decades. Best known for his seminal 1990 effort, Ah Via Musicom,
and the accompanying single "Cliffs of Dover," Johnson is no one-hit
wonder. The guy's praises have been sung by everyone from Billy Gibbons
to B.B. King. Less known, but hardly less regarded, is Andy McKee, a
Kansas-born acoustic guitarist who has a finger-picking style that will
leave the uninitiated in awe. This show is less a concert than a
classroom, so don't be tardy.

Sick of It All, Outbreak, Bitter End and Mother of Mercy at The LoftBring
your best earplugs to this one, as this quadruple bill is guaranteed to
pound your auditory senses into submission. New York's Sick of It All
has been doing its old-school punk thing for over 25 years now, and Lou
Koller and crew show little signs of slowing down. Plus, Sick of It
All's 2010 effort, Based on a True Story, is as uncompromisingly
harsh and as politically relevant as anything the band has ever
recorded. Long may these guys wail. Maine's Outbreak, San Antonio's
Bitter End and Pennsylvania's Mother of Mercy provide ample and
amplified support.

The Ink Couch and Elipsis at Andy's Basement Bar and GrillDenton's
own The Ink Couch play psychedelic rock with precision and passion.
Songs like "City of Sheep" and "Mouthful of Mistakes" show a band ready
to move on to larger venues. The band's sound may not be everyone's cup
of tea, but it is exceedingly well-played. This is music is probably more
conventional than most coming out of Denton, but perhaps a little
conventionality would do that college town some good.